Nekomata
Nekomata Just like all other Yokai, Nekomata were originally lifeless beings that were created by Konohanasakuya-Hime by working to give life to the dead cats that were buried on the mountains that she had been connected to. Due to her nature as not only a Goddess of mountains but volcanoes this influenced the creation of Nekomata, their bodies having been mixed with the toxic smoke and smog which emanates from the volcanoes that they are a part of. When reborn, their tails split in two, the tips of which seems to burn slowly as they give off trails of volcanic smoke and ash which they seem to seem to be partially made of. They were never given Heavenly host like their heavenly siblings due to their nature of only being born from and constructed for the Earthly realm; unlike most of the other God born Yokai. Given free roam over the volcanic islands their mischievous nature became well known among the people of the islands and neighboring nations as trouble makers and mischievous spirits. As they were not held up by the lofty goals of Heaven or a monstrous nature they were allowed to live for however they see fit, though they are known for giving into their mischievous nature as cats. This nature has been well known and recorded in multiple texts. They are however one of the few species of Yokai which were 'domesticated' by humans. In certain cases humans end up becoming overly attached and begin to overly sexualize certain Yokai, Nekomata being one of them. This lead to certain Nekomata lines being kept and 'lived with' by humans which lead to the family lineage to end up breaking in half, the base Nekomata and then the Nekomimi line which is a 'half breed' Yokai. Bodies Nekomimi bodies are like other Yokai, able to appear as human beings as they see fit but having an animalistic state and nature. They have overly long cat like ears that start where human ears actually form; from the sides of their head up to near the top of their head. Their ears are fully opposable much like any other felines, from pinning to front ot back, even moving to the sides with ease. Much like other cats they have sharp, often needle like teeth which bare together instead of forming as free individuals. Instead of the usual number of teeth that humans have, they have six extra teeth, these being much more powerful and overly sharp incisors, much closer to massive feral cats such as jaguars or cheetahs. In their true Yokai form, Nekomimi have less animal features than some of their more powerful multi tailed family. Firstly Nekomata have cat feet and legs that run all the way to their hips, fur along their hips and above their read where their tails appear from the base of their spines. This is matched with having mixed animal and human arms, fur completely covering hem running all the way to their shoulders where it forms a ring connecting at the back of their neck. Nekomata feature two extremely long tails, each of them forming from the base of their spine and peeking just above their rear. They start out as one tail at the very base before branching off into the two individual tails. They start off as extremely sleek before becoming thicker in muscle and fur at the tip. Nekomata fur is just like the fur of other Yokai, harder than diamonds but does not have the function to flatten and be used as a weapon. Instead they can be swung out at extreme speeds, able to use them almost like whips. They have a function which goes even further than that of a normal cat, they are fully opposable; they have been known to completely wrap around beings. Nekomata are much like most other tailed Yokai able to create their abilities not only through magic but through their own bodies. This is shown by the fact that they are able to create toxic chemicals from their bodies, which are released in a large purple to black cloud which they can control the rate of production and spread. While in Kaiju form they have been shown to not only partially be made of this toxic smoke and volcanic ash but their bodies ignite, the chemicals burning with seemingly no impact to their body. It is partially shown that these chemicals are not only toxic but highly flammable. Kami In Kami state the body of the Nekomata is completely wrapped in overly flexible muscle in the usual blood an aura coat that completely covers their form. Unlike other Kami states, this one seems to be more highly weaponized and made for more combat based situations then their hosts. Firstly they gain the cat skull mask, bound around their face but this skull mask does not go down and cover the face but moves forward off of it, meaning that they can use it to actually bite and strike which is not usually seen among these states. Further on while their legs and arms are covered in the usual bone armor structure on the forearms and below the knees their bones splinter off even just a little, creating what amounts to sickle blades. This is matched by an extra set of bone claws growing from above their knuckles, siding out much like other cat claws. More over their backs and tails are covered in bladed spinal sections meaning that they can use their tails as bladed weapons. Kaiju In Kaiju form they are shown to be the smallest of all Kaiju, which is not a surprise when it comes to their animal basis. They take on a much more streamlined form, less like common cats and much closer to cheetahs or jaguars and other forms of great cats. Their tails grow outwards, going from thin to overly large much like what one would see with a pallas cat. From the mid section to backs their tails emit the overly toxic and burning hot volcanic ash with the section just above their fur ignited. Starting from their biceps, the Nekomata emits the powerful volcanic ash this time curling around their form like clouds; though this section is not on fire. At their necks there is another section of volcanic ash which appears like a lion manes for males and large plumage for the females; the outer section of this ash burns which gives them an inhuman glow. Much like other Yokai they have multiple sets of eyes, in the usual case two sets but some have been shown to actually have three sets. Just like a few of the other tailed Yokai, the Nekomata have a single set barbel whiskers just below their nose which allows them to take in extrasensory information. Society Nekomata are a communal society, often living together in large numbers as is part of their feline nature. They often gather together in groups of twenty to thirty, living together in the same towns and areas where they were born, this being closer to domesticated cats than with big cats. This is not to say that Nekomata do not eventually break from their familial groups, as some times they will grow attached to others outside of this group; which sometimes causes them to leave and join with the person they have grown attached to. This happens in rare and very small numbers, usually five to six out of the entire group. The community of the structure of the Nekomata works as follows, firstly the oldest of all Nekomata are cared for by the younger of the Nekomata; almost in the way that certain big cats grouping care for their elderly. The grouping is usually lead by those in their prime, usually too old to have children but not old enough that they will be cared for. This grouping of the Nekomata work to keep their groups together as the sort of pack leaders. Below them are some of the younger Nekomata, young enough to have children and to fight for their families as they do three tasks. First, the women usually act as protection for the family groups, doing their best to try and keep everyone safe. Second, both the men and women hunt and help secure food for all of the families in the group. Third, men and women raise the children of the families together in a much more close nit community. Deities Usually Nekomata take on the roles of Land Gods for mountains or valleys as this is where they feel the deepest connection to their origin and their goddess. Unlike other Yokai shrines dedicated to them do not have something representing their animal forms in the the shrine but instead a symbolic representation of them, usually a carved stone of the mountain where they will live or where they were originally born. These Land Gods are often those related to household protection, harvest, luck, wealth, and good weather. Contracting There is still a tradition of Taoist and Shintoists actually performing a ritual to summon up certain powerful Yokai with powerful abilities or certain semi magical abilities. From there they create a contract with the Yokai in return for Human vessels, servants, or whatever else they may offer in return for allowing them the magic they were granted within their creation. Something to note is that it was preferred for Yokai to be summoned and contracted for the magic rituals as while a Human can easily handle the essence of a Yokai the essence of the gods who created them can easily overpower and burn out a Human, often leading to a destructive disbursal of the godly powers, the Yokai offer the same power but manageable for those willing to summon the Yokai and sign the contract. Category:Yokai